Improved strawberry-hulled



iniid (iaies prima affita.

JULIA W. D. PATTEN, or WASHINGTON. DISTRICT 'or COLUMBIA'.

Letters Patent No.' 104,919, dated Jane 28, 1870.

I, JULIA W. D. PATTEN, of the city oi' Washing-v ton, Districtoi'Golumbia, have invented a new Straw berry and Fruit-Hullen', of whichthe followingiS a specification.

My invention relates to a device or instrument for firmly holdingcertain iiuits, and another instrument for removing the hulls or othernnedible portion of said fruits while so retained or held in position bythe instrument first referred to.

By the combined use of these instruments the fruit is protected from theinjury and soiling often caused by handling, and the fingers arcprotected from the staining, roughening, and other disagreeable effectsgenerally resulting from the contact ot' thengers with the juices andacids of fruits.

Figure 1 is the plan View of the two instruments.

Figure 2 is theV side View of' the same.

A and B represent the fruit-holder,

C and D, the fruit-cutter, in the .positions referred to.

lhe berry-huller is constructed somewhat likea pair of tweezers, thesides or blades being made elastic near their point of junction, thatthey may readily return to their position after being compressed intheir operation.

vThe arms or blades of the .cutter are bent inward toward each other,near their extremities, vat a right or slightly obtuse angle, and thebent portion terminates in a cutting or clipping edge, either straightor curved.

It is apparent that, when the cutting ends are placed or inserted justbelow 0r at .the base of thc hull or calyx of the fruit, and thenbrought together 4by. pressure, the hull will be readilylseparated.

The berry-holder is similar in its general construction, but differsfrom the cutter in not being provided with cutting ends or faces, thearms or sides terminating in sharp points'.

These pointed4 ends are intended to pierce the fruit, and when, in thatpositionthey are pressed slightly toward cach other, the fruit i'seasily heldin a position for the application of the cutting instrument.

lhepointed ends are made sharp, thin, and straight, so that nolaceration ot the fruit will be caused either in their insertion orwit-hdrawal.- v .i

It will be evident from the above description that .the process ofhulling'strawberries and other fruit canv be accomplished by myinvention without applying the fingers directly to the fruit, and thatthereby the .double advantage isgained ot' protecting the fruit from thesoiling touch and hurtful pressure ofthe fingers, and also of protectingthe fingers from the -annoying and sometimes painful effect of thefruitjuices and acids,

This instrument can also be applied' in the process of removing the skinor peel from other fruits, as the fresh fig, the milky juice ot' whichhas a very irritating eect upon the skin.

Claim.. I cla-im the combination of the cutting or clipping instrumentand the holding instrument, constructed' and operating as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

JULIA W. D. PATTEN.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BRO ws, F. FoWLER.

